About Nicotine Strengths

E-Liquid strength is almost always measured in milligrams (weight) per milliliter (volume); expressed as mg/mL. Often the “per mL” (/mL) is dropped in conversation or informal writing (and even on many labels). E-Liquid, or E-Juice, comes in many strengths depending largely on the manufacturer, sometimes even as high as 36 or 42mg/mL. NicVape produces E-Liquid in 0, 3, 6, 12, and 18mg/mL, for example. We believe this provides just the right gradations and range of strengths for our consumers. But, how do you choose what’s right for you? Understanding what the strengths mean to you can make the difference between a positive experience and a negative one with vaping, especially for first time vapers.

If you are experienced with nicotine products, it helps to understand how that product currently works on your body and what dosage you are getting from it before trying vaping. Nicotine can be absorbed through the skin (like a transdermal nicotine patch), in the mouth (such as with chewing tobacco or nicotine gum), or through the lungs by inhalation. Inhalation, as with vaping or smoking, provides the fastest effect on your body.

When it comes to nicotine absorption, vaping compares most readily, although loosely, to smoking. You can find out how much nicotine is in a cigarette, and you can find out the absorption rate (not all the nicotine in the cigarette ends up in your body). The strength of e-liquid is measured in mg/mL. Theoretically it is possible to determine how much e-liquid you are vaping. However, differences in devices and the rate at which you vaping a set amount of e-liquid, lead to big differences in how the nicotine is transferred to your body. If you are a “dripper” using an advanced atomizer (RBA or RDA), 3mg/mL may give you the same effect you’d get from 6 or 12mg/mL e-liquid vaped from a starter kit or cartomizer, like an eGo pen-style vaporizer.